Alpacas grow flowers

Yes, you read that correctly!

Aside from growing gorgeous & stunning fiber which become the softest, warmest hats & scarves. . .

It is our alpacas #2 that is #1!

Say what?

If it’s not totally clear, I’m talking about manure here.

What’s so great about it?

Well, first of all, we produce it in house through our sister operation, Old Homestead Alpacas.

We have 20+ alpacas that take sunshine, water, fresh grass (in summer) and hay (in winter) and create beautiful fiber - and the most nutrient dense manure around.

You could say - it’s a pretty incredible recycled recyclable!

And why should you give a crap about their crap?

Well, it is the primary fertilizer we use in the flower fields.

That means every stem and blossom we grow is done so naturally - just recycled water, sunshine and grass.

That’s something you can fell good about when you bury your face in one of our fragrant bouquets!

The double bonus is that alpaca manure is perfectly balanced and ready to use. The N-P-K, or nitrogen-phosphors-potassium, levels are approximately 1.5 - 1 - 1.6.

What’s the big deal about that?

Most forms of manure have nitrogen levels that require composting before use to prevent ‘burn’. Burning occurs when too much nitrogen is added, causing the plant to take up more than it can withstand. The result is yellowing & shriveling of leaves often causing irreparable damage to the plant.

Well, alpaca manure is different! It has lower levels of nitrogen, but still enough to be beneficial to plant growth and root development, but it does not require composting. This works out nicely for us procrastinators! You can literally take a scoop of alpaca poop out of the field and put it right into the garden without fear of burning your plants.

And finally, alpaca manure helps promote soil health.

The growing or cultivation of anything - whether its beautiful bouquets or healthy nutritious foods - is an inherently extractive process.

The alpaca manure helps us replenish the nutrients we extract in growing our beautiful flowers.

Plus - their poop is bean-shaped, almost similar to pelleted deer droppings. It has a dense structure which improves soil texture and increases the soil’s water holding capacity. We’ve been amending our beds each year with hundreds of pounds of alpaca poop each season. Over time, this has meant we’ve had to water a lot less.